Teams. The Who, What, How and Why. Emily Insalaco Manager of Behavior Programs Denver Zoo

Transcription

1 Teams The Who, What, How and Why Emily Insalaco Manager of Behavior Programs Denver Zoo

2 None of us is as smart as all of us. Ken Blanchard

3 Why do we want or need teams?

4 Advantages to a Team Approach: They encourage a cooperative effort toward work. They allow for more sharing of information. They provide support for members during times of challenge, disappointment and of accomplishment. Teams often have a synergistic quality that can lead to creativity and innovation.

5 Challenges Associated with Teams: They must learn to communicate and resolve conflict effectively. They must share ownership with other members. The team members must make a personal commitment to be part of the team. The formation of an effective team can often seem to move very slowly, which can cause some to give up on the effort.

6 What we want to examine: What an effective team looks like. Some of the tools that can be used to provide teams with the skills they need. The importance of commitment and member conduct. Conflict resolution, communication skills and problem solving. How to identify and deal with challenges that arise, and how proactively approach some of the most common problems associated with teams.

7 We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. Benjamin Franklin

8 Stage One: Forming Deciding on the purpose of the team Choosing your membership (if you have a choice) Clarifying the goals of the team with the membership Example: Enrichment Committee

9 Stage One: Forming Deciding on the purpose of the team Choosing your membership (if you have a choice) Clarifying the goals of the team with the membership Example: Enrichment Committee

10 Enrichment Committee Agendas 1 st Meeting: Open attendance What do you want to get out of this committee? Define the purpose? Improve communication between divisions Share knowledge and ideas Come up with new ideas

11 Enrichment Committee Agendas 2 nd Meeting Mission and Vision statement Mission Statement A forum for presenting enrichment issues, sharing ideas, problem solving and educating. Vision Statement We will fully integrate the management and staff with the goal of broadening the concepts, theories, and practices of enrichment. This support will allow us to draw out appropriate desirable behavior, will stimulate emotional, physical and psychological well being in our animals, and will create an exceptional experience for our animals, staff and guests.

12 Enrichment Committee Agendas 3 rd Meeting Goals for the committee 1. Identify enrichment goals around the zoo 2. Discuss zoo-wide enrichment challenges 3. Research and make suggestions and recommendations for new enrichment initiatives around the zoo. 4. Facilitate zoo-wide understanding of what enrichment is, and how it benefits the staff, animals and visitors 5. Evaluation of Visitor s experiences with enrichment. (Future) Action items start to facilitate goals: Suggestion boxes there will be one in keeper sign-in room. New Enrichment Journal on Q: Zoop / Behavior / Enrichment Committee Continue to note enrichment and behavior observations on Tracks These issues will be put onto the agenda for the next meetings.

13 Stage Two: Storming

14 Stage Two: Storming Role clarification Trust Expectations Commitment Conduct

15 Role Clarification This is often the job of the managers, but can be part of what comes from goal setting with the team. Perhaps one person is in charge of food orders, one is the enrichment coordinator for the area, one handles maintenance issues Expectations Defining some expectations can be part of how the team decides to communicate. Holding one another responsible or accountable is often too difficult a task to put on a team, however, so follow-up on most expectations should be a manager s job. Expectations for team conduct could be the team s responsibility (we ll get to that).

16 Trust Has a lot to do with communication. Lack of communication can cause a lack of trust. What do the others truly think? Lack of communication and trust can cause conflict. One hand doesn t know what the other is doing Lack of Conflict can be a sign of lack of trust. (huh??) More on this later! Lencioni, 2002

17 Conduct For parents: Nanny 911 Denver Zoo Example: Predator Ridge Staff

18 THE 11 COMMANDMENTS OF NANNY 911 BE CONSISTENT No means no. Yes means yes. ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES Good behavior is rewarded. Bad behavior comes with penalties. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN AND MEAN IT Think before you speak or you ll pay the price. PARENTS WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM If you can t be on the same page, your children are not going to know who to listen to and they ll end up not listening to anyone. DON T MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN T KEEP If you tell the kids you re going to Disneyland, better get ready to pack your bag. LISTEN TO YOUR CHILDREN Acknowledge their feelings. Say I understand and I am listening then take the time to understand and take the time to listen. ESTABLISH A ROUTINE Routines make children feel safe and give structure to their time. RESPECT IS A TWO-WAY STREET If you don t respect your children, they are not going to respect you. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT WORKS MUCH BETTER THAN NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT Praise, pleasure, and pride accomplish far more than nagging, negatives, and nay-saying. MANNERS ARE UNIVERSAL Good behavior goes everywhere. DEFINE YOUR ROLES AS PARENTS It is not your job to keep your children attached to you. It s your job to prepare them for the outside world and let them be who they are.

19 Predator Ridge Code of Conduct Predator Ridge keeper staff, and animal management staff Keep professional and personal issues separate: Do not take work issues personally Do not make work issues personal No hidden agendas: Be open and honest share opinions, Be respectful of co-workers opinions Make an effort to be part of the team. Don t sweat the small stuff. Make safety issues a priority, and always take them seriously Maintain a professional attitude (agree to follow the code) no matter what. Feedback should be: Direct and timely Positive (Don t say Don t ) Constructive - solution oriented Assist other sections when you have time: Offer help if you can, and ask for help if you need it. Assume good intent. Have good intent. Communication is a priority Update, update, update!

20 Activity: Forming a Code of Conduct

21 Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. Henry Ford

22 Norming

23 Norming Members are using meeting skills. Members communicate effectively. Members respect and seek out others opinions. Members understand their roles on the team.

24 Performing

25 Performing This is where your work is produced! Can use more Supportive and Delegating management styles

26 Take survey Break

27 Conflict Why is it Good? What is Conflict? It is inevitable It brings problems to the table Often helps people identify and clarify their goals Can help people clear out resentments and understand points of view Learning to think about it as a positive thing can make conflict management more comfortable. Conflict metaphors: Wilmot and Hocker, 2001

28 Conflict, Personalities, and Communication Myers Briggs (Personality preference inventory) Thomas- Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Others?

29 Myers- Briggs Type Indicator Should be given by Trained Administrators, but: Quick MBTI inventory (can be done on paper too) Optional: Another site with more information if you are interested:

30 Types: You will wind up with one of 16 4-letter codes made up of: Extrovert vs. Introvert How you are energized intuitive vs. Sensing How you take in and process data / information Feeling vs. Thinking How you make decisions Judging vs. Perceiving How you prefer to live your life day to day.

31 By knowing the personality preferences, and how they exhibit themselves, it can help you choose the way you communicate to others E.g.: Someone who is a thinking preference versus a feeling preference will be more likely to make decisions based on what is most practical, versus making decisions based on a value system. So you can be aware of this tendency, and be sensitive to the fact that others might have a different decision making process than you. You can avoid feeling hurt that the decision they are leaning toward doesn t take into account the same things yours does, and feeling that they don t care about you or your feelings / needs. You can try to understand what is driving their decision, & communicate about that. You can better decide how to present things when you are trying to persuade someone what is important to them?? Try it:

32 T: I think that we should alternate working the holidays. You had last Thanksgiving last year, so someone else should get it this year. What if we just go in order of seniority? F: But that s not fair! None of you even have family in town! You don t care about me. Alternate conversation (recognition of the other type s needs by both parties): 1. What was the conflict? Assume good intent. What was Thinking preference trying to accomplish? How were they making the decision? 2. What was Feeling preference trying to accomplish? How were they making the decision? 3. What could Thinking do to communicate the issue better with Feeling? What could Feeling do to communicate the issue better with Thinking? 4. Now, how could the conversation happen differently?

33 Example of an alternate conversation: T: I think that we should alternate working the holidays, to make it fair. You had last Thanksgiving last year, so someone else should get it this year. What if we go by seniority? F: I like the idea of us all getting a chance that makes sense. But, what about this idea: maybe we can look at what holidays are most important to the individuals, and choose who gets which based on that, instead of seniority. I know I will have family in town on Thanksgiving this year, and would really like it off. T: Well, I actually have a party I would like to go to on the 4th of July, so if I can have that day, I prefer that anyway! And I know Susan s birthday is around Christmas, so maybe that will work out best for everyone.

34 Thomas- Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Conflict Strategies Summary, and best uses. Avoiding What conflict? Accommodating Whatever you want to do Competing My way or the highway Compromising I give a little, you give a little Collaborating What haven t we thought of?

35 Activity: Thomas-Kilmann Instrument

36 My Conflict Modes Avoiding low - lower 25% Accommodating average mid 50% Competing average mid 50% Compromising average mid 50% Collaborating High upper 25%

37 My Conflict Modes Avoiding low - lower 25% Accommodating average mid 50% Competing average mid 50% Compromising average mid 50% Collaborating High upper 25%

38 Developing a Personal Conflict Strategy Plan For your own use (these do not need to be shared). The strategy you most often use / most comfortably: The strategy you use least often / least comfortably: Think of 3 most recent conflicts in which you have been involved, or you have witnessed (Whether managed well, or not well). Now answer the following for each: Describe the conflict. Which strategy was used? How effective was it? What strategy should have been used and why? Choose one person with which you have had a conflict that was not resolved well. Describe the conflict. Which strategy was used? How effective was it? What strategy should have been used and why? How are you going to change the way you approach this type of conflict in the future? (Make a plan!)

39 Conflict Language: Anger State the anger: Distinguish between acknowledging it, and venting. Work to find the stimulus of it: it won t just go away. Perception? Incompatible goals? Ego? History? Competition for resources? Accept the anger: Acknowledge the person s feelings, clarify the specific behavior involved, invite the other to join you in resolving the conflict. Wilmot and Hocker, 2001

40 Conflict Language: Constructive Interactions Explore assumptions, and LISTEN Develop an objective description of the conflict Give up persuasion in favor of exploration Look critically at all sides all have strengths and weaknesses. Express intent to work together. Wilmot and Hocker, 2001

41 Commitment Before any of this works, the members need to buy in to the idea, and agree that this is a goal, otherwise, there is not any reason to change their behavior there will be no meaningful consequence, positive or negative. It can be a stated job duty.

42 Other Resources There are countless resources that deal with conflict, communication, management, teams Find what resonates with you and use that. Some further examples of ones that resonate with me follow:

43 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 1. Be proactive 2. Begin with the end in mind 3. Put first things first 4. Think win-win. 5. Seek first to understand then to be understood. 6. Synergize 7. Sharpen the saw

44 FYI: For Your Improvement Diagnostic book that helps you: Identify skills you use, under-use, and over-use. Discover ways to strengthen your skill use. Improve your coaching technique.

45 First, Break All the Rules (& Now, Discover Your Strengths ) Poll to determine success: A successful company was defined as a company that possessed these characteristics: Productivity Profitability Customer satisfaction Employee retention Poll to look at what the successful companies employees had in common (measuring stick). Interviewed millions of employees of various companies and asked hundreds of questions Which consistently got a yes from employees of the successful companies? What do you think they were?

46 Do I know what is expected of me at work? Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right? Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work? Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person? Is there someone who encourages my development? At work, do my opinions seem to count? Does the mission / purpose of my company make me feel like my job is important? Are my coworkers committed to doing quality work? Do I have a best friend at work? In the last 6 months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress? This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

47 Resources / References Interpersonal Conflict, Wilmot and Hocker The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team. A Field Guide. First Break All the Rules, Buckingham and Coffman Now, Discover your Strengths FYI: For Your Improvement. Whale Done. Blanchard, Lacinak, Thompkins, Ballard The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, Stephen Covey. The Big Book of Teambuilding Games The Big Book of Motivation Games The Team Building Tool Kit. Deborah Harrington-Mackin Others

48 Questions and Discussion